Farm for foster children again debated by neighbors

SOUTH BEND Â? Should farm property in North Liberty be turned into a temporary home for young foster children?

The St. Joseph County Council will now be able to ponder that question.

Laura Mallozzi, who has cared for foster children in her own Edgewater Drive home, wants to buy the 24.5-acre farm of Mark and Lori McDonald, in the 26200 block of Martindale Road.

The Area Board of Zoning Appeals has handed the matter to the council without a recommendation.

If the special-use permit is granted, she plans to raise money for Poverello Farm, which will host up to eight foster children ages 12 and under with supervision by a married couple serving as house parents.

Mallozzi told the board the home will function just like any single-family residence, except that it will have more children, and have volunteers coming and going daily.

One of the farmÂ?s barns would also be used for therapeutic horseback riding, with the possibility of boarding horses on the side.

The children would not Â?workÂ? on the farm, but they would have chores such as collecting eggs or milking goats; a long-term goal is to raise organic produce.

Â?The children wonÂ?t be allowed on other peopleÂ?s properties, and we would hope to keep them active enough that they wouldnÂ?t need to go there,Â? she said, responding to neighborsÂ? concerns about trespassing. She said she needs the permit before she can go ahead with fundraising.

Neighbors also raised doubts about the farmÂ?s viability.

Â?We farm about 2,000 acres, so I know what a farm is,Â? said Theresa Whitmer, of the farming business Whitmer Farms. Â?IÂ?m concerned about inner-city children and the problems with them moving out to the country. Also, they donÂ?t seem to have any funding in place to cover all these things before the permit is granted.Â?

Randy Brodzinksi asked, Â?How is this going to be a self-sufficient farm? I want to know how she proposes to do this, since theyÂ?ll be younger than 12.Â?

The Area Plan staff had recommended the proposal be given a favorable recommendation because the parcel is large enough for recreational/educational use, and doesnÂ?t appear to create any activities that would negatively affect surrounding properties.